WHY THE FUTURE OF LIFE INSURANCE MAY DEPEND ON YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE

“Don’t post photos of yourself smoking on social-media sites. Do post photos of yourself running.” These two suggestions appear in a recent Wall Street Journal article about New York state’s new rules for how life insurance companies can use public data to help set premiums. Such tips — under the heading “what you pay for life insurance could depend on your next Instagram post” — seem ominous, portending a surveilled future where tweeting about rock climbing could hurt your wallet and services exist to curate photos that appeal to insurance companies.